LiveLeak.com - Bob Dylan plays his first gig in Vietnam Bob Dylan plays his first gig in Vietnam 10 April 2011 Last updated at 12:14 ET Legendary folk singer Bob Dylan, whose songs became anthems of the 1960s anti-Vietnam war movement, has played his first concert in the Communist country. Dylan played a concert in Ho Chi Minh City - formerly Saigon - on Sunday evening. Dylan, 69, jammed on stage playing guitar, harmonica and keyboard and singing hits including A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall and Highway 61 Revisited. During the time of the Vietnam conflict, many of Dylan's protest songs defined the mood of a generation, with young Americans marching for peace followed by similar protests in the UK and other western countries. Around half of the 8,000 seats at RMIT University were sold, to a mix of Vietnamese and foreigners, Associated Press reported.

Correspondents say many in youthful Vietnam have never heard of the man who wrote Blowin' in the Wind and The Times They - Bob Dylan plays his first gig in Vietnam - BBC News BBC News Bob Dylan plays his first gig in Vietnam 10 April 2011 Close share panel Image caption The US rocker has inspired those seeking political change Legendary folk singer Bob Dylan, whose songs became anthems of the 1960s anti-Vietnam war movement, has played his first concert in the Communist country. Dylan played a concert in Ho Chi Minh City - formerly Saigon - on Sunday evening. Dylan, 69, jammed on stage playing guitar, harmonica and keyboard and singing hits including A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall and Highway 61 Revisited. During the time of the Vietnam conflict, many of Dylan's protest songs defined the mood of a generation, with young Americans marching for peace followed by similar protests in the UK and other western countries. Around half of the 8,000 seats at RMIT University were sold, to a mix of Vietnamese and foreigners, Associated Press reported.

Correspondents say many in youthful Vietnam have never heard of the man who wrote Blowin' in the Wind and The Times They Are A Changing. About half of Vietnam's 87 million people are under 30, with no memory of the years of war with the US. But Dylan remains important to those who were living in the country at the time. "Bob Dylan's music opened up a path where music was used as a weapon to oppose the war in Vietnam and fight injustice and racism," Tran Long An, 67, vice-president of the Vietnam Composers' Association told AP. Image caption Bob Dylan merchandise was on sale outside the venue just like at any other gig "That was the big thing that he has done for music." Another concert-goer said Dylan's music was a source of hope during the war. "We listened to anything that spoke of peace. We called him the peace poet," said Stan Karber, 60, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, who served in Vietnam from 1969 to 1971 and has lived in Ho Chi Minh City for the past 15 years. Big-name concerts are still rare in Vietnam and the Communist government maintains a strict control over what is said in public.

Dylan's song list had to be approved in advance by the government, although the concert's promoter Rod Quinton said no restrictions had been imposed. Chinese censors The concert forms part of the musician's Asia-Pacific tour, marking 50 years since his first major performance. He played in Shanghai on Friday after his debut China gig in Beijing on Wednesday. After reportedly banning a concert by Dylan last year, Beijing agreed he could perform if his songs were vetted by censors. The authorities have been wary of foreign performers, particularly since the Icelandic singer Bjork signalled her support for Tibetan independence at a concert in Shanghai in 2008. Bob Dylan's two gigs had to be approved by the national ministry of culture and officials said the singer would have to abide by an agreed playlist. The move was criticised by Human Rights Watch in the US, which said "Dylan should be ashamed of himself". Brad Adams, executive director of the organisation's Asia division also said: "He has a historic chance to communicate a message of freedom and hope, but instead he is allowing censors to choose his playlist." Dylan's next tour stop will be Hong Kong, followed by Singapore. Two days later he will go to Australia and then on to Europe in June.

Bob Dylan on stage in Vietnam | ABC Radio Australia Bob Dylan on stage in Vietnam Bob Dylan on stage in Vietnam Updated 4 January 2012, 14:41 AEDT The legendary folk singer Bob Dylan, whose songs became anthems of the 1960s anti-Vietnam war movement, has played his first concert in the Communist country. Dylan played a concert in Ho Chi Minh City last night, just days after performing in China. Dylan jammed on stage playing guitar, harmonica and keyboard and singing hits including "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" and "Highway 61 Revisited". But he did not play songs that were associated with anti-Vietnam war protests in the 1960s, like "The Times They Are A-Changin'" and "Blowin' in the Wind". During the time of the Vietnam conflict, many of Dylan's protest songs defined the mood of a generation, with young Americans marching for peace followed by similar protests in Britain and other western countries. Fans of the American folk singer say his first ever concert in Vietnam was a resounding success. Australian Brendan Sheedy was in the audience at the Ho Chi Minh City concert.

"It's quite a magical atmosphere, it's very unusual thing to go to a gig this size in Vietnam," he said. "But again, it's beautifully lit, the atmosphere here is everyone here is keen and everyone here is very focussed on Dylan and people are really into it, which is a very unusual thing for Vietnam." Topics: What Happened on April 10th This Day in History 16th What happened This day in History on April 10th 1971 China Ping Pong Diplomacy Saturday, 10th April 1971 : In an effort to build better relations between the U.S. and China a US table tennis team begins a week long visit to the People's Republic of China (PRC) at the invitation of China's communist government. As soon as I read this I realized the significance of the Table Tennis in the movie "Forrest Gump" which I always wondered how it fitted in with all the other major events from the time period.

Find More From What happened in 1971 1912 Southampton, United Kingdom Titanic Sets Sail 10th April 1912 : Titanic sets sail on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York the Titanic has been described as April 10, 1912: the worlds most luxurious floating hotel, and was only 5 days out when she hit an Iceberg and Sank in the Atlantic with the loss of many lives. 1919 Mexico Emiliano Zapata 10th April 1919 : Emiliano Zapata the leader of the peasants during the Mexican Revolution, is ambushed and shot to death in Morelos by government forces 1925 U.S.A. The Great Gatsby Friday, 10th April 1925 : "The Great Gatsby" a story is set in Long Island's North Shore and New York City during the summer of 1922 . by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is published. and is now often regarded as an example of the Great American Novel. The Great Gatsby has become a standard text in high school and university courses on American literature in countries around the world. 1925 U.S.A.

Arsenic Poisoning 10th April 1925 : Sixth Member of family succumbs to Arsenic poisoning after 5 other members of his family die not much hope is given for his survival 1932 Germany Hitler Sunday, 10th April 1932 : Adolf Hitler is beaten by Paul von Hindenburg for the German presidency 1936 Britain War in Abyssinia Friday, 10th April 1936 : Britain Presses for Penalties on Italy after war in Abyssinia and threatened to take independent action heightening a war in Europe 1942 Philippines Bataan Death March 9th April 1942 : The Japanese forced 75,000 captured American and Filipino soldiers to march more than 85 miles in six days from Bataan to a prison camp near Cabanatuan with only one meal of rice in total over the six days known as the "Bataan Death March" During the Forced march hundreds of Americans and many more Filipinos die.

1945 Austria Vienna Falls To Russians Friday, 10th April 1945 : Fall of Vienna to the Russian Cossack Allies and Russia Moves on Berlin US and Russia to make final assault on Berlin War in Europe expected to end soon 1956 Israel Middle East Conflict Tuesday, 10th April 1956 : UN steps up peace pressure in Middle East conflict between Israel and its Arab Neighbors in an attempt to bring about a lasting peace 1959 Japan Crown Prince Akihito Thursday, 10th April 1959 : Japan's Crown Prince Akihito the current emperor of Japan, becomes the first Crown Prince to bring a commoner into the imperial family when he marries Miss Michiko Shōda 1963 U.S.A. USS Thresher Wednesday, 10th April 1963 : Nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Thresher and her crew of 129 was lost at sea in the Atlantic Ocean some 220 miles off Cape Cod, Mass.

1968 New Zealand Ferry Disaster Wednesday, 10th April 1968 : A ferry the "TEV Wahine" capsizes in Wellington Harbor, New Zealand after running aground during one of the worst storms ever to ever hit New Zealand. The final death toll is expected to exceed 50 with most due to drowning. 1970 UK Beatles Break Up Friday, 10th April 1970 : Paul McCartney releases his first solo album after rifts between the group and announced that he has split from the Beatles 1972 Iran Earthquake Monday, 10th April 1972 : An Earthquake centered on the town of Ghir, in southern Iraq kills up to an estimated 4,000 people in the massive earthquake an aircraft which flew over the area reports that there was not a single dwelling left standing above the ground .

Soldiers, police and villagers dig survivors from the rubble for almost four days after the disaster and the final death toll is closer to 5,300 than the original estimates 1972 Biological Warfare 10th April 1972 : Seventy nations, including the United States and the Soviet Union, signed an agreement banning biological warfare. 1979 U.S.A. Terrible Tornadoes Tuesday. Tuesday, 10th April 1979 : Thirteen tornadoes ripped through Texas and Oklahoma today in a deadly outbreak that meteorologists later referred to as "Terrible Tuesday." The twisters destroyed thousands of homes. 1981 UK Bobby Sands Elected Friday, 10th April 1981 : The Imprisoned IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands is elected to Westminster as the MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone. Bobby Sands continued his hunger strike and died less than a month later on May 5th 1981. 1985 U.S.A.

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Parliament has called for a boycott of the Olympic opening ceremony Thursday, 10th April 2008 : The International Olympic Committee (I.O.C.) had urged China to fulfill its promises to respect human rights in Tibet, when the E.U. Parliament passed a non-binding resolution in favor of boycotting of the opening ceremonies in Beijing. In today's vote, the E.U. Parliament has expressed its support for a boycott of the August 8th opening ceremonies unless Beijing engages in dialogue with the Dalai Lama. The Parliament has also appealed to the individual E.U. states to consider not participating in the ceremonies. The E.U. resolution does not bind the bloc's twenty-seven members into any form of compliance. 2009 Fiji President Josefa Iloilo Takes Absolute Power Friday, 10th April 2009 : Following the Court of Appeal ruling that the government of Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama is illegal President Josefa Iloilo suspends the nation's Constitution and dismisses all judges assuming control. Following protests he orders security forces and the military to take "all reasonable steps" to maintain law and order and supports Prime Minister Bainimarama.

2010 Poland A Polish Air Force Tu-154 crashes in Smolensk Oblast, Russia Saturday, 10th April 2010 : A Polish Air Force Tu-154 crashes in Smolensk Oblast, Russia carrying the Polish President Lech Kaczyński, his wife, army chief, central bank governor, MPs, leading historians, and many top Polish government officials to their deaths. The cause of the crash was believed to be pilot error. Vietnam 2011 Vietnam Bob Dylan Plays First Concert in Vietnam Sunday, 10th April, 2011 : Legendary folk singer and songwriter, Bob Dylan, who had become a voice for the anti-Vietnam war movement in the 1960s and 1970s in America, played his first concert in the Communist country of Vietnam. The sixty-nine year old musician held the concert in Ho Chi Minh City. Only about half of the seats at the venue were sold for the concert, this was largely attributed to the fact that nearly half of the population of Vietnam was under thirty years old and had no memories of the war with the United States.

United States 2012 United States Rick Santorum Ends White House Bid Tuesday, 10th April, 2012 : Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum announced the end of his run for the White House effectively leaving the Republican nomination to Mitt Romney. Santorum was behind Romney in funding and the polls and had been taking time off of the campaign after his daughter was admitted to the hospital. Norway 2012 Norway Mass Killer Breivik Declared Sane 10th April, 2012 : Anders Breivik, the accused mass killer that orchestrated a bomb attack and shooting spree that left seventy-seven people dead in July of 2011, was declared sane preceding his impending trial. The declaration was made so that he would be allowed to face trial and a jail term, he had been previously declared insane after an evaluation in November of 2011. France 2013 France Louvre Closes Over Pickpockets Wednesady, 10th April, 2013 : The Louvre in Paris did not open on this day because workers were protesting against pickpockets at the museum.

Workers had stated that the pickpockets were becoming increasingly aggressive and organized and they had been coming to work afraid of being targeted. The management at the museum stated that they would try to come up with a solution to the problem, even though they had already asked the police for more assistance. Nigeria 2014 Nigeria Child Bride Poisons Husband in Nigeria 10th April, 2014 : Police confirmed that a fourteen year old child bride confessed to killing her thirty-five year old husband who she was forced to marry. She had said that she put rat poison in his food, another three people died as a result and ten others were hospitalized. Born This Day In History 10th April Celebrating Birthday's Today Anti-War Icon Bob Dylan Gives Special Concert In Former Saigon, Sees Vietnam At Peace | Access Hollywood Anti-War Icon Bob Dylan Gives Special Concert In Former Saigon, Sees Vietnam At Peace April 10, 2011 9:22 AM PDT After nearly five decades of singing about a war that continues to haunt a generation of Americans, legendary performer Bob Dylan finally got his chance to see Vietnam at peace.

The American folk singer and songwriter known for his anti-war anthems gave a special concert Sunday in the former Saigon, nearly 36 years after the Vietnam War ended. Dylan, 69, jammed on stage in a black jacket, purple shirt and white hat in the warm evening air, singing favorites such as “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall” and “Highway 61 Revisited.” Only about half of the 8,000 seats at RMIT University were sold to a mix of Vietnamese and foreigners who danced on the grass as Dylan played guitar, harmonica and the keyboard. With more than 60 percent of the country’s 86 million people born after the war, many young people here are more familiar with contemporary pop stars like Justin Bieber. Still, Dylan’s music during the tumultuous 1960s touched thousands of people in both nations. “Bob Dylan’s music opened up a path where music was used as a weapon to oppose the war in Vietnam” and fight injustice and racism, said Tran Long An, 67, vice president of the Vietnam Composers’ Association.

“That was the big thing that he has done for music.” An was a student in Saigon, now called Ho Chi Minh City, during the war and took to the streets with other Communist sympathizers calling for the killing to stop. He remains a big Dylan fan and has a large collection of the singer’s records. For some who were fighting in Vietnam’s jungles, Dylan’s music was a source of hope. “We listened to anything that spoke of peace. We called him the peace poet,” said Stan Karber, 60, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, who served in Vietnam from 1969 to 1971 and has lived in Ho Chi Minh City for the past 15 years. “I’ll be dancing here in a minute.” The fighting ended on April 30, 1975, when northern Communist forces seized the U.S.-backed capital of South Vietnam, reunifying the country. About 58,000 Americans were killed along with some 3 million Vietnamese.

Sunday’s concert followed the 10th anniversary of the death of anti-war Vietnamese folk singer Trinh Cong Son, known as the “Bob Dylan of Vietnam.” The opening Vietnamese acts played a tribute to Son, who remains highly popular. Dylan is one of the top foreign artists to perform in Vietnam, where big-name concerts are still rare and the Communist government maintains strict controls over expression. Dylan’s song list had to be preapproved by the government, but promoter Rod Quinton, general manager of Ho Chi Minh City-based Saigon Sound System, said no restrictions were placed on the extensive set list submitted. Dylan received criticism earlier this week following his first-ever shows in China for allowing the Communist government there to vet his song list. Two popular anti-war songs, “The Times They Are a’Changin’” and “Blowin’ in the Wind,” were not performed at the Beijing and Shanghai shows, but it was unclear if they were submitted for consideration. U.S.-based Human Rights Watch issued a statement saying, “Dylan should be ashamed of himself.” “The young Dylan wouldn’t have let a government tell him what to sing,” Brad Adams, executive director of the organization’s Asia division, said in the statement.

“He has a historic chance to communicate a message of freedom and hope, but instead he is allowing censors to choose his playlist.” Dylan’s U.S. publicist referred questions to the promoters in Vietnam, who declined to comment. Vietnam, while prospering as one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia, does not tolerate any challenge to its one-party rule. Rare protests are quickly quashed by security forces, and a spate of prominent pro-democracy activists have recently been arrested or given lengthy jail terms after calling for democracy. The government also routinely blocks access to websites considered a threat, including Facebook. But the country, once defined by grainy images of U.S. planes dropping bombs over pockmarked jungles, has moved far beyond what Vietnamese here call the American War. Since the mid-1980s, Vietnam has embraced capitalism, and today’s Ho Chi Minh City is electric with a sea of motorbikes buzzing past shops selling everything from knockoff North Face backpacks to real Chanel bags. A single glass skyscraper defines the city skyline, but the flurry of construction in all directions assures visitors that more change is coming.

“The chances of watching Bob Dylan live are not many, and he’s no longer young,” said Hoang Dao Cam, 42, who flew from the capital, Hanoi, for the show with five other hard-core fans. He said his father taught him English at age 6 by singing “Blowin’ in the Wind” to him. “I just cannot miss this opportunity.” Copyright © Anti-war icon Bob Dylan to give concert in former Saigon, see Vietnam at peace - The Blade Anti-war icon Bob Dylan to give concert in former Saigon, see Vietnam at peace ASSOCIATED PRESS Print HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam — After nearly five decades of singing about a war that continues to haunt a generation of Americans, legendary performer Bob Dylan is finally getting his chance to see Vietnam at peace. The American folk singer and songwriter was set to give a special concert Sunday evening in the former Saigon, where he’s expected to sing some of his classic anti-war tunes, nearly 36 years after the Vietnam War ended.

“Bob Dylan’s music opened up a path where music was used as a weapon to oppose the war in Vietnam” and fight injustice and racism, said Tran Long An, 67, vice president of the Vietnam Composers’ Association. “That was the big thing that he has done for music.” An was a student in Saigon, now called Ho Chi Minh City, during the war and took to the streets with other Communist sympathizers calling for the killing to stop. He remains a big Dylan fan and has a large collection of the singer’s records. Sunday’s concert follows the 10th anniversary of the death of anti-war Vietnamese folk singer Trinh Cong Son, who was known as the “Bob Dylan of Vietnam.” The opening Vietnamese acts will play a tribute to Son. Only about half of the 8,000 seats at RMIT University were sold, to a mix of Vietnamese and foreigners. With more than 60 percent of the country’s 86 million people born after the war, many young people here are more familiar with contemporary pop stars like Justin Bieber.

But Dylan’s music during the tumultuous 1960s touched thousands of young people — many of them angry that a draft was being used to send young men off to die in Southeast Asia — to take to the streets and demand that Washington stop the war in Vietnam. The fighting ended on April 30, 1975, when northern Communist forces seized the U.S.-backed capital of South Vietnam, reunifying the country. About 58,000 Americans were killed along with some 3 million Vietnamese. Efforts are still ongoing in Vietnam and elsewhere to recover the remains of some 1,700 missing American soldiers. On Saturday in central Danang, remains believed to be those of U.S. servicemen were repatriated for DNA analysis and identification. Dylan, 69, is one of the top foreign artists to perform in Vietnam, where big-name concerts are still rare and the Communist government maintains strict controls over expression. Dylan’s song list had to be preapproved by the government, but promoter Rod Quinton, general manager of Ho Chi Minh City-based Saigon Sound System, said no restrictions were placed on the extensive set list submitted.

Dylan received criticism earlier this week following his first-ever shows in China for allowing the Communist government there to censor his song list. Two popular anti-war anthems, “The Times They Are a’Changin’” and “Blowin’ in the Wind,” were not performed at the Beijing and Shanghai shows. U.S.-based Human Rights Watch issued a statement saying: “Dylan should be ashamed of himself.” “The young Dylan wouldn’t have let a government tell him what to sing,” Brad Adams, executive director of the organization’s Asia division, said in the statement. “He has a historic chance to communicate a message of freedom and hope, but instead he is allowing censors to choose his playlist.” Dylan’s U.S. publicist referred questions to the promoters in Vietnam, who declined to comment. Vietnam, while prospering as one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia, does not tolerate any challenge to its one-party rule. Rare protests are quickly quashed by security forces, and a spate of prominent pro-democracy activists have recently been arrested or given lengthy jail terms after calling for democracy. The government also routinely blocks access to websites considered a threat, including Facebook. But the country, once defined by grainy images of U.S.

planes dropping bombs over pockmarked jungles, has moved far beyond what Vietnamese here call the American War. Since the mid-1980s, Vietnam has embraced capitalism, and today’s Ho Chi Minh City is electric with a sea of motorbikes buzzing past shops selling everything from knockoff North Face backpacks to real Chanel bags. A single glass skyscraper defines the city skyline, but the flurry of construction in all directions assures visitors that more change is coming. Related Items Bob Dylan Plays Vietnam, Venue Only Half-Full | Billboard Bob Dylan Plays Vietnam, Venue Only Half-Full Photo by Steve Galli. Bob Dylan rothbury After nearly five decades of singing about a war that continues to haunt a generation of Americans, legendary performer Bob Dylan finally got his chance to see Vietnam at peace. The American folk singer and songwriter known for his anti-war anthems gave a special concert Sunday in the former Saigon, nearly 36 years after the Vietnam War ended.

Dylan, 69, jammed on stage in a black jacket, purple shirt and white hat in the warm evening air, singing favorites such as "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" and "Highway 61 Revisited." Only about half of the 8,000 seats at RMIT University were sold to a mix of Vietnamese and foreigners who danced on the grass as Dylan played guitar, harmonica and the keyboard. With more than 60 percent of the country's 86 million people born after the war, many young people here are more familiar with contemporary pop stars like Justin Bieber. Still, Dylan's music during the tumultuous 1960s touched thousands of people in both nations. "Bob Dylan's music opened up a path where music was used as a weapon to oppose the war in Vietnam" and fight injustice and racism, said Tran Long An, 67, vice president of the Vietnam Composers' Association. "That was the big thing that he has done for music." An was a student in Saigon, now called Ho Chi Minh City, during the war and took to the streets with other Communist sympathizers calling for the killing to stop.

He remains a big Dylan fan and has a large collection of the singer's records. For some who were fighting in Vietnam's jungles, Dylan's music was a source of hope. "We listened to anything that spoke of peace. We called him the peace poet," said Stan Karber, 60, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, who served in Vietnam from 1969 to 1971 and has lived in Ho Chi Minh City for the past 15 years. "I'll be dancing here in a minute." The fighting ended on April 30, 1975, when northern Communist forces seized the U.S.-backed capital of South Vietnam, reunifying the country. About 58,000 Americans were killed along with some 3 million Vietnamese. Sunday's concert followed the 10th anniversary of the death of anti-war Vietnamese folk singer Trinh Cong Son, known as the "Bob Dylan of Vietnam." The opening Vietnamese acts played a tribute to Son, who remains highly popular. Dylan is one of the top foreign artists to perform in Vietnam, where big-name concerts are still rare and the Communist government maintains strict controls over expression.

Dylan's song list had to be preapproved by the government, but promoter Rod Quinton, general manager of Ho Chi Minh City-based Saigon Sound System, said no restrictions were placed on the extensive set list submitted. Dylan received criticism earlier this week following his first-ever shows in China for allowing the Communist government there to vet his song list. Two popular anti-war songs, "The Times They Are a'Changin'" and "Blowin' in the Wind," were not performed at the Beijing and Shanghai shows, but it was unclear if they were submitted for consideration. U.S.-based Human Rights Watch issued a statement saying, "Dylan should be ashamed of himself." "The young Dylan wouldn't have let a government tell him what to sing," Brad Adams, executive director of the organization's Asia division, said in the statement. "He has a historic chance to communicate a message of freedom and hope, but instead he is allowing censors to choose his playlist." Dylan's U.S. publicist referred questions to the promoters in Vietnam, who declined to comment. Vietnam, while prospering as one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia, does not tolerate any challenge to its one-party rule.

Rare protests are quickly quashed by security forces, and a spate of prominent pro-democracy activists have recently been arrested or given lengthy jail terms after calling for democracy. The government also routinely blocks access to websites considered a threat, including Facebook. But the country, once defined by grainy images of U.S. planes dropping bombs over pockmarked jungles, has moved far beyond what Vietnamese here call the American War. Since the mid-1980s, Vietnam has embraced capitalism, and today's Ho Chi Minh City is electric with a sea of motorbikes buzzing past shops selling everything from knockoff North Face backpacks to real Chanel bags. A single glass skyscraper defines the city skyline, but the flurry of construction in all directions assures visitors that more change is coming. "The chances of watching Bob Dylan live are not many, and he's no longer young," said Hoang Dao Cam, 42, who flew from the capital, Hanoi, for the show with five other hard-core fans. He said his father taught him English at age 6 by singing "Blowin' in the Wind" to him.

"I just cannot miss this opportunity." LiveLeak.com - Redefining the Media Reminds me of that Bjork Video "All is full of Love" (with the Lesbian Robots). Hahaha.

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We hear from the inhabitants as they eloquently argue their case for real citizenship rights. By: lasrever | Comments: 23 | Views: 14795 | Votes: 0 | Shared: 0 Leaked: Feb-14-2009 in Other FASHION FREAKS: Catwalk strip at Paris men's show.. New star-designer on the block Kris Van Assche pulled the curtain on his autumn-winter collection at the Paris men's shows with a crowd-pleaser Friday -- the models bowed out stripped down to their un By: ornament | Comments: 2 | Views: 14417 | Votes: 0 | Shared: 1 Evelyn McDonnel � Mamarama on feminism, rock and roll and motherhood Evelyn McDonnell is the editorial director of Before that she was the pop culture writer at The Miami Herald for six years.

She is the author of three books: Mamarama: A Memoir of Sex, K By: jennyfrommoli | Comments: 2 | Views: 7353 | Votes: 0 | Shared: 0 Singer Bob Dylan to Perform in Vietnam Singer Bob Dylan to Perform in Vietnam April 06, 2011 8:00 PM Bob Dylan performs (file photo) Share Email to a Friend Print Legendary American folk singer Bob Dylan is to perform in Ho Chi Minh City. But musicians in the country say many young Vietnamese are not familiar with his music and anti-establishment reputation. Dylan, whose songs inspired the anti-Vietnam War movement in the United States, will perform in Vietnam on Sunday for the first time. He wrote his most famous songs in the 1960s, just as U.S. military involvement in Vietnam began to escalate. Two Vietnamese musicians say Bob Dylan’s April 10 concert in Ho Chi Minh City, which follows his first concerts in neighboring China, will mostly draw older fans. Tran Manh Tuan is a Ho Chi Minh City composer and saxophonist who studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

The 42-year-old says young Vietnamese mostly listen to contemporary “commercial music” and are not familiar with Dylan’s songs nor his ties to the American counter-culture of the 1960s and 1970s. “Bob’s music is very, very deep, and of course it takes time to enjoy it, so I think they need time," the musician said. "This is a great opportunity for them to get to know [Dylan’s] great, great, great music and lyrics.” About half of the country's population was born after the Vietnam War ended in 1975. Drummer Le Quang Minh owns Acoustic Cafe, a Ho Chi Minh City music club that caters to a young clientele. Minh estimates only 30 percent of the people who visit his club know about Bob Dylan. “This is not a show for young people - it’s a show for people who are over 30 years old," noted Minh. "Young people [who will attend] just want to come and see because a lot of [Vietnamese] people have been talking about this guy.

It doesn’t mean they love his music.” Minh, 35, says many young Vietnamese think Dylan’s famous song “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” was written by the American rock band Guns N’ Roses. Last month, before the American pop band the Backstreet Boys performed in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, state-controlled Vietnamese media reported that 55,000 fans would attend the concerts. The company promoting the concert says Dylan will perform at an 8,250-seat hall at RMIT University. As with other concerts here, Vietnamese authorities required Dylan to submit the lyrics of songs he plans to perform for review. Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party does not tolerate dissent, and many rights activists say the party increased its repression of dissidents and pro-democracy activists ahead of a five-year party Congress in January. In Hanoi this week, a high-profile Vietnamese legal activist, Cu Huy Ha Vu, was sentenced to seven years in jail on charges of trying to subvert the government.

Dylan’s Ho Chi Minh City concert follows the 10th anniversary of the April 1 death of anti-war Vietnamese folksinger Trinh Cong Son, a contemporary of Dylan’s who was known internationally as the “Bob Dylan of Vietnam.” On Wednesday, Dylan performed his first concert in China. A planned tour last year was scrapped, but the government gave approval for performances this year, as long as he stuck to an approved program. Phil Ochs: The Life and Legacy of a Legendary American Folk Singer | Democracy Now! Phil Ochs: The Life and Legacy of a Legendary American Folk Singer StoryJanuary 06, 2011 director of Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune. Links "Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune," Official Film Website The legendary American folk singer Phil Ochs is widely regarded as one of the world’s most influential political musicians. Rising to fame in the 1960s, Ochs used his music to both chronicle and help mobilize the labor rights, civil rights and antiwar movements. A new documentary, Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune, has just been released chronicling Ochs’ life.

We speak with Phil Ochs’ brother Michael and Kenneth Bowser, the director of the film, which premiered yesterday in New York City. [includes rush transcript] TRANSCRIPT This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form. JUAN GONZALEZ: The legendary American folk singer Phil Ochs is widely regarded as one of the world’s most influential political musicians. Rising to fame in the 1960s, Ochs used his music to both chronicle and help mobilize the labor rights, civil rights and antiwar movements. He recorded hundreds of songs that reached millions of people, including "I Ain’t Marching Anymore," "Draft Dodger Rag" and "The War is Over." In April 1976, less than a year after organizing a massive concert in New York’s Central Park to mark the end of the Vietnam War, Ochs took his own life. He had struggled with alcoholism and bipolar disorder that consumed his final years. He was 35 years old. AMY GOODMAN: Well, a new documentary has just been released chronicling Phil Ochs’ life.

It’s called Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune, premiered at New York’s IFC Center last night. This clip from the film features a number of speakers, including Phil Ochs. It begins with Ochs’ producer, the musician and arranger Van Dyke Parks. VAN DYKE PARKS: Thing about Phil that made him interesting was he was totally unequivocal. He was determined, precise, literate, but already filled with rage and political purpose in his songs. PHIL OCHS: [singing] He slowly squeezed the trigger, the bullet left his side. It struck the heart of every man when Evers fell and died. Too many martyrs and too many dead... DAVE VAN RONK: Topical song movement evolved out of opposition to segregation, Jim Crow, and the civil rights movement, in general, subsequently the Vietnam War. Without those howling injustices and outrages, there would have been no protest song movement. Probably there would have been no folk song movement. PHIL OCHS: [singing] And then there came the boycotts and then the Freedom Rides. And forgetting what you stood for, you tried to block the tide.

Oh, the automation bosses were laughing on the side, as they watched you lose your link on the chain, on the chain, as they watched you lose your link on the chain. MICHAEL OCHS: Phil would play anywhere. There were the club things. There’d be a multi-artist thing. You’d hear about all these causes that needed help. He would go to the South and do civil rights things. PHIL OCHS: [singing] If you drag her muddy rivers, nameless bodies you will find. Oh, the calendar is lying when it reads the present time. Oh, here’s to the land you’ve torn out the heart of. Mississippi, find yourself another country to be part of. MICHAEL OCHS: It was a great way to reach people through one’s music. Phil would actually turn down a commercial job for a benefit, because the benefit would usually reach more people. ABBIE HOFFMAN: No matter how small a group or big the group, whenever anybody asked, I can never remember him turning down anybody, any benefit, any chance to sing for a cause he believed in. He really — Phil Ochs was there.

LUCIAN TRUSCOTT IV: Those guys were true believers. Those guys would show up, you know, for the opening of an envelope to give $10 to some guy that was handing out crackers on the Bowery, to sing a song for the cracker-hander-outter guy. ARTHUR GORSON: Phil went down to Hazard, Kentucky, because there was a miners’ strike. PHIL OCHS: [singing] Well, some people think that unions are too strong, union leaders should go back where they belong. ARTHUR GORSON: We got to sleep in bathtubs, so that when they came and shot up the rooms at night, you wouldn’t have bullets bouncing off. And it was cool. PHIL OCHS: [singing] Well, mining is a hazard in Hazard, Kentucky, and if you ain’t mining there, you’re awful lucky, because if you don’t get silicosis or a pay that’s just atrocious, you’ll be screaming for a union that will care. ARTHUR GORSON: There was sort of a very kind of practical moral politics that had to do with a sincere feeling that people should be treated equally.

PHIL OCHS: [singing] But if you want to get together and fight, good buddy, that’s what I want to hear. AMY GOODMAN: An excerpt of Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune. This next clip of the film addresses Phil Ochs’ involvement in the movement against the Vietnam War, featuring two of his most famous songs, "I Ain’t Marching Anymore" and "Love Me, I’m a Liberal." REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.: Let us save our national honor. Stop the bombing, and stop the war. PHIL OCHS: I mean, I’m a young man, and the government wants to ask me to go over there and die, possibly, or to kill, for doubtful reasons. And I say, nonsense. Absolute nonsense. CORA WEISS: The whole draft was totally unjust. Rich kids, college kids got out. Poor kids, black kids, poor white kids were drafted. PHIL OCHS: [singing] That someone’s gotta go over there, and that someone isn’t me. So I wish you well, Sarge, give 'em hell. Kill me a thousand or so.

And if you ever get a war without blood and gore, I'll be the first to go. CORA WEISS: There was a resistance movement that developed, because people felt it was not a just war and they didn’t want to fight. And that’s what Phil sang about. PHIL OCHS: [singing] Oh, I marched to the Battle of New Orleans at the end of the early British war. The young land started growing, the young blood started flowing, but I ain’t a-marching anymore. MICHAEL OCHS: The second album was I Ain’t Marching Anymore. He’s much more confident as a singer, more confident as a guitarist. PHIL OCHS: [singing] It’s always the old who lead us to the war, always the young to fall. Now look at all we’ve won with the saber and the gun. Tell me, is it worth it all? MICHAEL OCHS: The Hamlet of that album is the title song, "I Ain’t Marching Anymore," which became the anthem of the antiwar movement. PHIL OCHS: The war that was bound to end all wars.

Oh, I must have killed a million men, and now they want me back again, but I ain’t a-marching anymore. LUCIAN TRUSCOTT IV: The Army didn’t get us into Vietnam. And I think Phil understood that. Politicians get you into wars, and military people die. The rest of the sort of New York scene wouldn’t really talk out loud like that. He understood all those things. He was willing to say things like that. PHIL OCHS: Having American community, you have varying shades of political opinion. One of the shadiest of these is the liberals — 10 degrees to the left of center in good times, 10 degrees to the right of center if it affects them personally. [singing] I cried when they shot Medgar Evers. Tears ran down my spine. And I cried when they shot Mr. Kennedy, as though I’d lost a father of mine. But Malcolm X got what was coming. He got what he asked for this time. So, love me, love me, love me, I’m a liberal. Get it? AMY GOODMAN: Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune.

The film opened at New York’s IFC Center last night here in New York, and we’re joined by, well, the film’s director Kenneth Bowser, and we’re joined by Phil Ochs’ brother, Michael Ochs. He’s among the many people interviewed in the film. Others include Sean Penn and Pete Seeger, Joan Baez and Tom Hayden. Abbie Hoffman is featured in the film. Jerry Rubin is in the film. What is it like, Michael? Your brother —- your brother, who you actually managed -— MICHAEL OCHS: Yes. AMY GOODMAN: — not that you had any experience doing this — seeing his life and working on this film? MICHAEL OCHS: It’s a pleasure to see Phil alive again. It’s a pleasure to see him espousing the same causes and in a totally different medium. And it’s a lot of years past the time. JUAN GONZALEZ: Ken Bowser, you’ve worked on this for many years, this film. You’ve called him the "broken heart" of the movement of his time. Could you explain what made you want to do this film and also that assessment of him?

KENNETH BOWSER: I grew up listening to his songs. I saw him play at a benefit. I remember he came into play at a benefit for César Chávez, and it must have been ’70, ’71, 150 people. He had flown in from Los Angeles, and he probably lost money flying in to raise $200 or whatever it was. And I just — I loved his music. So, I just — I loved his music. I loved his work. I loved who the man was. And he conveyed to me his love of his country, and I hope I share that love. And so, it was all a story I wanted to tell. AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to go back to another clip of this remarkable film, tracking Phil’s activism, built around his famous song "The War is Over." It features interviews with speakers — well, with Paul Krassner and with actor and director Sean Penn. PHIL OCHS: I got involved with the Politics of the Absurd in California, which was a theater demonstration in which we declared the war over in Vietnam. PAUL KRASSNER: Realities develop out of a fantasy. And it was a fantasy.

The war is over, if you want it. SEAN PENN: It strikes me as the sort of the thing that comes to a witty person who’s going to sleep at night, saying, "I know this war is horrible, but even before it’s horrible, it’s just ridiculous. And it just doesn’t make any common human sense." JUDY HENSKE: I said, "Phil, is that enough, to just say — to just say — is that enough to say just the war is over?" PHIL OCHS: [singing] I declare the war is over. MICHAEL OCHS: LBJ was campaigning and doing a speech at Century City. And Phil organized a "War is Over" demonstration. And they do it outside the hotel where Johnson’s speaking, and the cops go crazy. JUDY HENSKE: There was a big riot. And it was called a police riot. And I didn’t get injured, because I hopped up on a camera thing, and so did Phil, with his sign, "The War is Over." PHIL OCHS: You spend years fighting against the war on a moral basis.

And the administration doesn’t listen at all, you know, and you become increasingly aware that you’re not having an effect. MICHAEL OCHS: Phil decided, let’s do it again in New York. PHIL OCHS: So it’ll be a theater piece. It’s not a hippie theater piece; it’s a theater piece. ABBIE HOFFMAN: And he ran around frantic. When he got onto an idea, he got as manic as most of the other creative artists that you know. And he designed posters, and he got the World War II poster of the sailor kissing the girl. We were going to make it a reality. And we all gathered in Washington Square Park, and he sang the song. PHIL OCHS: [singing] Trust your leaders, where mistakes are almost never made, and they’re afraid that I’m afraid, I’m afraid the war is over. It’s over. ABBIE HOFFMAN: About 5,000 people just went streaming up the boulevards, hugging people, "The war is over!

The war is over!" And it was quite effective, because in that moment, they had to say, well, what would it be like if it was over? PAUL KRASSNER: We ran through the streets against traffic, so it was hard for the cops to follow us. We had noisemakers and shouting, "The war is over!" And a lot of people believed it. PHIL OCHS: I think America has to wake up to the absurdity that it is involved with. And I think street theater like that, you know, is not going to end the war. I mean, none of the things have ended the war. But I think it’s more effective theatrically in getting the absurdity across to these people. [singing] So do your duty, boys, and join with pride. Serve your country in her suicide. Find a flag so you can wave goodbye. But just before the end, even treason might be worth a try. This country is too young to die. I believe the war is over. AMY GOODMAN: Phil Ochs singing "The War is Over." Ah, they hoped in 1967.

But, of course, the images going across the screen are the war in Vietnam, full-blown. I think many people thought it was John Lennon and Yoko Ono who created this idea of "The war is over. Believe it, and it will happen." But it came from Phil? KENNETH BOWSER: Well, it came from Phil. And as Michael pointed out... MICHAEL OCHS: Yeah, Phil told me, Allen Ginsberg came up with the idea first. They were talking, and Phil loved the idea, so Phil actually effectuated it. AMY GOODMAN: So, there was this dream of "The War is Over" in ’67. Then there was the — MICHAEL OCHS: It was more than a dream. It was political theater. It was the idea, if we do this, to get people to think: what would this be like if it really were over? And people — people bought it. I mean, people were cheering and throwing things, until they realized it was a joke. AMY GOODMAN: So you have Vietnam. Then you have Chile, which Phil got very involved with, the U.S.-backed Pinochet regime rising to power.

This clip in the film addresses Phil Ochs’ effort to inform the U.S. public on the Nixon administration’s support for the ’73 military coup in Chile. Phil Ochs had previously traveled to Chile and befriended the folk singer Víctor Jara, who was slain by military forces during the coup. Phil convinced Bob Dylan to co-headline a benefit concert for Chilean refugees. LOLA COHEN: Bob came over to the apartment, and we were downstairs in that bunker. And Phil had Salvador Allende’s inauguration speech, his inaugural address. And he read it. And it was just — we were just blown away, and we were silent. And it was very — you know, very moving. And he told us about Víctor Jara and that he had to do this to avenge Víctor’s death for his wife and child. DENI FRAND: And he finally got Dylan to say that he will probably come. And, of course, we saw that. PHIL OCHS: Hold it. What we’re trying to do here is an experiment in aesthetics in politics, regarding [inaudible]. The mere fact of you yelling more is part of the [inaudible] fan worship.

DENI FRAND: People were screaming for Dylan and screaming for whomever. And he said, "You’re not here to [bleep] stars. You’re here to help the Chilean refugees, and you are going to learn about what happened to this country." ARTHUR GORSON: That concert was the first time that people got up in public and said that the CIA was behind the overthrow of Salvador Allende. AMY GOODMAN: A clip of the film Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune. Phil, though, as his singing was remarkable, was declining. Michael, in this last minute, those last years of his life? MICHAEL OCHS: Yes, he was having trouble writing songs, and so he became much more political by organizing more and more demonstrations, like the Chile demonstration. AMY GOODMAN: And talk about what happened at the young age of 35. MICHAEL OCHS: Basically, Phil was a manic depressive. And the manic binge he went on, probably out of desperation, frustration, etc., he went too far, and he never got back.

He became, as we do, we get depressed afterwards, and he couldn’t see the next mountain due to the valley he was stuck in. And we tried to get him help. And he finally went to a shrink, but then, a week later, he killed himself. AMY GOODMAN: I was very touched last night when you said he told you he would commit suicide many times, and at the time you thought that meant he wouldn’t, that if you said it, you wouldn’t. MICHAEL OCHS: Yeah, yeah. And it’s throughout the lyrics of his songs in the last two, if not three, albums. I mean, the suicide sub-theme runs throughout. AMY GOODMAN: But it is a myth. If you say it, it has to be taken seriously. MICHAEL OCHS: It is a myth, yeah. If they talk about it, you best believe, take it seriously. AMY GOODMAN: Well, Michael Ochs and Ken Bowser, a remarkable film. It’s called Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune. It’s opened in New York and hopefully will travel this country.

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Question: Which legendary folk singer played his first concert in Vietnam, in April 2011?
Answer: Bob Dylan